Housekeeping and Troll Exposure

This is just a further continuation of my assertion that all “Progressive” activists in general and Gun Control activists specifically are Narcissists, stalkers and trolls. It seems the only difference between the ones that nationally represent the cause, and the cellar dwellers who simply troll pro-rights sits, and me-too at the handful of anti-gun sites, is how well they can conceal their deviant behavior.

So that leads me here. I did a post on how short-sighted and foolish the Joyce Foundation “Ask Campaign” was. In it I put a link of New Trajectory, one of the few “Cease Fire” branches of the Joyce Foundation that actually has a blog, granted with a heavily moderated comment section, like all anti-gun blogs. Its proprietor who goes by the dubious name of “Baldr Odinson” jumped on and made a pretty rude and fallacy-rich comment that can be found here.

It wasn’t much of an argument to the rebuttals were both easy, and numerous, feel free to read them. Also check out Thirdpower’s extended rebuttal here at his site. His makes an excellent point that Baldr calls us fools for rebuffing his Joyce talking points, and notes that he allows his children to play in homes of gun-owners so long as they meet his safety standards. Only on a separate occasion he notes that the is no way children can safely play in a home that has guns, period. Oops.

Further at one point on his blog somebody asked how he would protect his family from harm. His response:

@ Bob: Not with a gun…I and my son are students of kung fu, and my wife practices haganah. We are all still relatively new to these martial arts, but its a start at self protection. Not as lethal as a gun, but you can’t accidentally beat yourself to death. 😉

Now read my rebuff VERY carefully, as I want all to know I am indeed being fair. Have a peek at Mr. Odinson, I do this in NO way to disparage a person on physical appearance, trust me, I ain’t no prize and I’ve never been mistaken for Adonis or Jason Statham in my life. (I did have the young daughter of friend say I looked like Brad Pitt…We all had a good laugh at her youthful Naivete)

I will point out what martial arts champions look like. They do not look like myself or Baldr. They are generally larger in size, well muscled, and lean. I’ll also point out that in all the Martial arts competitions are divided up by weight class, and by sex. I’m not saying its impossible for s smaller, lighter person to take down a larger heavier one, or a woman to take down a man, even in the same size and weight (tho generally women run a bit smaller), but it is deemed uncommon enough that every martial arts competition out there, from boxing and kickboxing, to MMA and Kung Fu, separate the fighters by weight and sex.

I’ll also note there is a HUGE number of martial artists who are also advocates for defensive firearms. The most visible is Chuck Norris, who has a pretty well-respected career in many schools of martial arts, and most will agree he is a martial artist first, and an actor second, but also a strong activist for the NRA. There are lots of other people in the world of Martial arts who keep and bear arms despite their superior physical condition, and training.

And of course there’s the people who use martial arts as part of their job. Military, Police, and Security forces. They’re all generally armed, if not with firearms, with other lethal tools like clubs and knives.

Sorry Baldr, while Kung-Fu will give you some valuable tools to defend yourself, even the grand masters of the arts don’t want to bet their life on it. And those are not people like myself or Baldr who could stand to drop a few pounds, and maybe lift weights a good bit more.

OK so now back to the original topic. After I rebuffed Baldr’s arguments made this statement:

I appreciate you giving your unique opinions to the discussion at Weer’d World, but I will note your, and your compatriots past behavior of simply dropping talking points, and not returning to continue debate. Any point worth making, is a point worth defending. If you are not willing to defend your points with reasonable debate, I will start marking further comments by you appropriately as Spam. This is a blog for discussion of issues, not for your personal soap box. If you wish to discuss the issues I welcome it, if you feel the need to drop controversial comments and not follow up on them, you are abusing my blog.

If you find this task daunting, maybe you should recruit some more voices for your cause.

Assuming he only came to my post I also emailed it to him. Now for those who might see this as a bit extreme, go have a look in the comments of the linked Thirdpower post. Baldr makes one inane comment, and is gone. Have a lot at the thread where I made that statement. No follow-up. Thirdpower makes reference to Baldr claiming to be unaware at his own affiliation to the Joyce foundation. That comment can be found here, note again that’s the only comment he felt like leaving. There are also many other blogs where he’s done exactly the same thing.

This is a behavior I’ve called Schrödinger’s “Progressive”, where a “Progressive” person drops in, drops their own talking points, and leaves, paying no mind to the rebuttals, many of them well-thought-out, and citing data.

I love debate, its something that makes both sides stronger. This isn’t debate, this is simply using another person’s blog as an extension of their soap box without the owner’s permission. Its the blog equivalent of littering, he leaves his trash for others to pick up.

Now of course I did get ONE response in my email from Baldr.

Shucks. Funny how you don’t demand this of your extremist pals, but then it’s not really a debate when the only people who post are yes-men.

Baldr

Now we’ll forgive Baldr, he’s a “Progressive” which gives him license to be an expert on things he knows nothing about, such as my comment section. I think it speaks for itself. Also given that Baldr’s comments still exist, and those that are up right now will not be touched, does make him look like quite the fool. My Response to him:

Back when I supported gun control, I also found that I couldn’t support the agenda no matter how much I wanted it to be true. The facts and history were just not behind me.

I had no choice, live a lie, or switch sides.

I demand this of all who comment at Weer’d World. It just seems only those who support gun control seem to feel that the hit-and-run tactic of debate will somehow win hearts and minds.

You have two quite good direct rebuttals to your little comment up now. Will you show us exactly where we are wrong on this whole debate, or will you simply chose to no longer waste our time?

-Weer’d

Those rebuttals have multiplied since I wrote that. of course I got no further response. It seems that his beliefs are hardly worth defending. Also rather ironic that he takes offense to my statements, but he plays the typical anti-gun game of deleting most of the comments made on his own blog.

Yawn. I know boring stuff. Just Weer’d World is not just my soap box, its my forum for debate and discussion of the issues I find important. I welcome all who agree or disagree we me to comment, and debate. I don’t have a “Commenting Policy” because mostly I feel them unnecessary and tedious. My general feelings are that we’re all grown-ups here so we don’t need a referee. I clean up obvious trash. I get spam from bots here that I delete, I have maybe seen one or two comments that were just childish people using my blog as a graffiti board that just wrote some naughty words and left it at that. I simply deleted those and the problem stopped. As for REAL abuse, like Baldr, or some of his trollish compatriots, I think I owe it to them to make a full post on their banishment.

So there it is. Baldr, you had your chance. All your previous posts will remain, any further posts will be marked as “Spam” which they rightfully are.

0 Responses to Housekeeping and Troll Exposure

“The most visible is Chuck Norris, who has a pretty well-respected career in many schools of martial arts, and most will agree he is a martial artist first, and an actor second, but also a strong activist for the NRA.”

Steven Seagal is also an Aikido master and he shoots pretty religiously. Now he’s a well-known dick so he might be a for-me-but-not-for-thee anti, but he definitely understands that being an ninja isn’t going to get you much if the other guy has a gun and is out of arms reach.

He came to mind, but #1 I didn’t want to do a massive list, because frankly as far as I can tell the martial arts instructors and Masters who have the right to carry guns but choose not to are the smallest of minorities.

And #2 there’s a ton of debate about Segal’s career. I do know he inherited his Dojo from the father of his first wife, and there are some who have called him a poser, both on the Aikido side, and the gun side. Frankly I’m not here to prattle about that. I do know that even in his age and questionable physical condition, I wouldn’t pick a fight with Mr. Segal. Also I must say it takes a good bit of physical training and skill to move as quickly and gracefully on camera as he did in what I consider his “Golden Age” films.

I really don’t have the time for it, but I’d love to take some Krav Mega classes, because knowing some Martial arts is NEVER a bad thing…plus it might be a fun way to drop a few pounds that I’d like to be rid of.

Still I know that even if I’m a grand master super-squirrel, there are always bigger dogs (and weapons that make smaller dogs a LOT bigger).

Plus what sense does it make that when defending your life against somebody who wants to do you harm you should make it a fair fight?

Unlike with Baldr, you do not need to require us to defend our positions – we already know that one does not strengthen those positions without testing them, and that any position worth holding is worth defending.

Unlike Baldr, we do not lack the conviction to do that defending.

*shrug* troll-cleaning is an annoying, but necessary, part of having a weblog. If a person is unwilling to engage in an actual conversation, it is obvious that he or she is here to do nothing more than link-drop, and that makes them no better than an average spammer.

Another response to Mr. Odinson (not that he needs it, or would heed it):

Martial arts have their place, to be sure, but there are many situations in which a firearm is far more effective.

As Massad Ayoob has explained, what do you think is more likely to scare off an attacker? Mrs. Odinson striking a combat stance? Or her producing a firearm and showing an immediate willingness to use it if she must?

Anyone can strike a combat stance, particularly if they’ve been to the movies in the past ten years… and a large attacker, encountering a small woman who does so, is likely to laugh at her and attack anyway.

One other point. If you propose to defend yourself with martial arts, that means that you have relatively little potential of scaring off an attacker; you will most likely have to fight him off. With a gun, a.k.a. the threat of overwhelming force, you have a very real opportunity to scare off the attacker without making physical contact at all. In other words, if your objective is to AVOID fighting, then your best bet is to get a gun.

Law Enforcement are trained in martial arts techniques because the vast majority of their encounters do not require lethal force. For the rest of us, an encounter that does not require lethal force is one to walk away from. An encounter that requires lethal force is one you should run away from if possible. Therefore, for the average person, martial arts training is nothing more than exercise.

Speaking to the weight class. In high school I was in a Tae Kwon Do tournament that I weighed in 1 pound into the Heavyweight division. I was in a group with guys that were 50 lbs heavier than me. I made it to the championship round and even though I out hit the opponent, because of the scoring concept of “stunning force” , I only scored one point. My opponent scored three points, one for each of the times he hit me. That whole conservation of momentum thing sucks sometimes.

If you are alone this is often the best advice. But what if you are not? Run away? Maybe, if you see that it is useless to stand and fight it is better to leave and to seek help. Especially if you are the one the attacker is after.
In other cases, would you abandon your wife, child, girlfriend, other innocent person?
If the assailant is armed, it depends on what kind of weapon is brandished. Al Capone is reputed to have advised, “Run from a knife, rush a gun,” the idea being that you cannot get away from a gunman quickly enough to lower the chance that he can shoot you, while the more quickly you put distance between yourself and a knife wielder, the less likely he will be able to cut or stab you.
But what if you are 60 and overweight and the attacker is 22, slim and athletic? A friend was attacked in his own yard by a neighbor’s son with a sledge hammer. My friend turned and started to run, but as the attacker was already running toward him, he was overtaken and struck in the ribs below his arm, barely dodging a blow to his head. He had never been in a physical altercation in his life – not even in (private) school or as a child. He simply had no idea how to react.
On the other hand, I fought my way all the way through school from first through ninth grades. I had to fight the boys who lived across the street just to go outside in my parents’ yard. I never have considered myself a fighter; it was always forced on me. If a person attacked me with a hammer, I would not have run (I am 60 also) but would have dodged at the last moment when he was committed to his swing. A good knuckle-punch to the solar plexus would have taken the wind out of him at least long enough for me to get away, and perhaps to get the hammer away from him. A hosing down with 10% pepper spray would have made it hard for him to find me.
It’s not about “winning” a fight but 1) avoiding it if possible, or 2) stopping it if it has has started.
And if at all possible, be the first to call the cops. The first to report an attack will more often than not be seen as the innocent party, especially if it turns out that he actually is the innocent victim. Being neatly groomed and dressed helps, too. Often the ruffian looks the part. Baggy cargo shorts or trousers, tattoos all over, ratty hair, doper T-shirt all go to make such a person look to be the attacker.

Another issue being missed, especially in today’s environment of flash mobs is that fighting isn’t the movies. You can be the best in the world and a group will swarm you and it’s over. They don’t form a ring and fight one at a time. Whereas, just producing a firearm can send a mob running. We all just saw this in the case of the Mosin and the guy with the Gadsden flag. There is your example, Baldr. Look it up yourself. Take on a mob of ten or more people about to overcome your home with your white belt and tell me how that turns out.

The “combat stance” is for the movies and martial-arts competitions. NEVER give warning that you can defend yourself. Preferably do not ever let anyone know that you have had training. If necessary, strike first AFTER the enemy has started to make a move against you. Do your best to stop a fight that you are unable to escape with a single blow. No fooling around. Anyone who will cross the line of decent behavior by threatening to injure or kill you must be assumed to be serious until proven otherwise.
Certainly things depend on the circumstances. If you are in a situation where there are witnesses, you must be careful not to appear to be the aggressor. If you have friends present, falling down when struck or shoved may be the thing to do – makes you look all the more the innocent victim. It may be a good idea to absorb a blow or two, especially if you can move with it to reduce the impact, or cause it to contact in a strong part of your body. The “Code of the West” crap is indoctrinated in the population: don’t hit first. Of course this is total bullshit but other people’s sensibilities are ignored at your peril. It may make a big difference in who goes out in handcuffs.
I carried a pistol for years before anyone knew that I had it. The first time I ever let anyone know of it what when a drunk piano tuner shot me in the back with a “wrist-rocket” slingshot. The pain was tremendous and the loud “pop” of the thing caused me to think that he had gotten his pistol out of his truck and shot me with it. I drew and turned on him, aiming at his crotch (good place – very intimidating to most). I instantly took in that he had a slingshot, not a firearm, so did not shoot him. He grinned at me – may I say “idiotically?” – and started to reload his slingshot. I told him to freeze and he didn’t (typical aggressor – thinks you won’t resist). I fired one round above his head into the solid brick wall of an old warehouse behind him. He put the slingshot down. Finally he got it into his beer-soaked brain that, yes, it was a REAL gun and yes, he was very close to being shot to death. I did have to tell him to stay away from his truck, as I knew he kept a pistol behind the seat. A potentially nasty situation that turned out with no one being hurt any more than already.
Also, I was looking for a safe place to get away to without having to shoot the moron if he wouldn’t stop. I was standing out in the open in the middle of the parking lot of my car repair garage. As he had only a slingshot, now unloaded, I think I would have run as I could have gotten away before he could shoot me again.
Unfortunately now everyone there knew I packed. The tenant said he had no idea I could move so fast. He did banish the drunk from the shop lot.

No such thing as a fair fight in real life. It’s unfair for someone to threaten or use violence against me for any reason. Fair fights are for the ring.
The “fair fight” thing is total bullshit anyway. Does the US Govt. believe in the “fair fight” crap?
No, the US believes in superiority of forces delivered overwhelmingly and first.
“Get there fustest with the mostest.”
The typical “Old West” “Marshal vs. Bad Guy” confrontation was a deputy with a double barrel 10 gauge from behind the Bad Guy. The good Marshal or Sheriff might not even have to fire a shot, or even draw his gun. “Festus Hagin” from behind always trumps the Bad Guy challenging the “Marshal.”
The “Law” doesn’t have to fight fair and neither do I. Anyone who attacks me is a criminal and gets no quarter. I just have to make sure that I am always standing on the right side of the law.

I’m fascinated that the wife of Baldr Odinson practices “Haganah.” Is that like Civil War reenactors? Haganah was a Jewish paramilitary organization that existed before the founding of Israel in 1948. It was then absorbed into the Israeli Defense Force.

What he meant to write, perhaps, was Krav Maga. Of course, what he really meant was that he studies the art of getting his arse kicked.